Here's a Thought: Maybe 49ers Should Try to Hire Norv Turner to Replace Mike Martz

On Wednesday, Gretz mentioned that the 49ers were giving Mike Singletary an early Christmas gift: the head coaching gig for next season.

The club canned Mike Nolan after a 2-5 start, but the team has been 5-4 since. And next year, Singletary will have the pleasure of trying to win football games without offensive coordinator Mike Martz sabotaging everything. This comes as shocking news to, well, nobody, really. Not even J.T. O'Sullivan.

With Martz one-and-done in San Francisco, who should take over the play-calling duties? The San Francisco Chronicle's Gwen Knapp has a suggestion:

If, however, [Norv] Turner is available and Singletary is interested, nothing should get in their way. When Turner left San Francisco two years ago, he put the 49ers in a terrible position. The 49ers had already responded to the Cowboys' interest in Turner by promising to pay him a salary commensurate with his status as the coordinator who had given the breath of life to a moribund offense. Then San Diego came along with a late offer, and Turner went, taking the 49ers' future with him.

For all the knocks on Turner the head coach, he's the anti-Ron when it comes to coordinating up an offense. Norv had a lot to do with Alex Smith's progress in 2006, and before that, he was a coordinator for the Dolphins, Chargers and Cowboys. And in virtually every stop, he was successful. There's no reason to think he wouldn't be able to revitalize the 49ers' moribund offense, particularly if you think Shaun Hill is a more viable option than Smith.

Of course, there's the little issue of Turner still having a job.

The Chargers' front office has declared that no matter what happens, Norv will be back in '09. Even if you don't believe that, you have to think that if San Diego beats the Broncos on Sunday night to win the division, there's no way he'll be fired. (Exhibit A: Marty Schottenheimer and his 14-2 record. I know, I know, but Schottenheimer hated GM A.J. Smith and wanted his pink slip.)

Assuming Turner stays put, the 49ers still need an offensive coordinator. There's plenty of time for all that, but here's to hoping they get it right this time. In four years, the team has had four different coordinators. Alex Smith would like you to remember this when you start blaming him for the team's current predicament.